WEBVTT ONE EVENT TOWATCH IN SOCHIIS THE BIATHLON.THE SPORT TESTSCONCENTRATIONAND ENDURANCE,COMBININGCROSS COUNTRYSKIING ANDEXPERTMARKSMANSHIP.WHILE THEENTERTAINMENTFACTOR ALONEWILL HAVEVIEWERS ON THEEDGE OF THEIRSEATS, A GROUPOF FAMILIARFACES WILL HAVEUS ALL CHEERINGWITH A PURPOSECOME FEBRUARY.WPTZ,NEWSCHANNELFIVE'S STEPHENWATSON HAS THESTORY...THE TEN MEMBERU-S OLYMPICBIATHALON TEAMCOULD INCLUDETHREE ATHLETESSHARING AUNIQUE BOND.Annelies Cook:"they're like mybrothers" TimBurke: "Lowell and Iare both a fewyears older thanAnnelies, so welook at her kind oflike the youngersister as well." INFEBRUARY, U-SBIATHLETESLOWELL BAILEYAND TIM BURKEWILL HEAD TOTHEIR THIRDOLYMPIC GAMES.ANNELIES COOKHAS A STRONGCHANCE OFJOINING THEM.THEIR BOND?Annelies Cook:"three of us fromthe same highschool, who are thesame ageessentially aregoing to gotogether." 15YEARS AGO,THEIR JOURNEYBEGAN WITH THENEW YORK SKIEDUCATIONFOUNDATION. ALLFROM THEGREATER LAKEPLACID AREA,THEYDEVELOPED ARELATIONSHIPEXTENDING WELLBEYOND THENORDIC TRACKAND FIRINGRANGE. LowellBailey: "You're on ateam of people whoare all workingtowards the samegoal obviously, butto have two ofthose people befriends that you'vehad almost yourwhole life, it makesit more enjoyableand more fulfilling."Annelies Cook:"They've alwaysbeen these inspiringpeople to me,especially as a kidjust wanting to keepup with them andwanting to emulatethem." StephenWatson: "LakePlacid isaccustomed tosending world classathletes to theOlympic Games,but to have 30percent of anOlympic rostercome from withinmiles of this areawould be anaccomplishmentunmatched in USBiathlon history".Burke: "This areahas produced aWinter Olympian inevery single WinterOlympics and it's agreat tradition that Iknow we're allproud to carry on."Jonne Kahkonen:"they're very highlymotivated and theyreally push for theirdreams to makethem realistic goalsand their sportscareers." THOSEDREAMS, BORNON THE HARD-PACKED TRAILSSURROUNDINGAN OLYMPIC CITYCOULD COMEFULL CIRCLE FORTHE GROUP IFTHEY SHARE THEWORLD'SBIGGEST STAGEIN FEBRUARY.Cook: "I think it'sawesome and I'mlucky I get to do thiswith my brotherskind of, people thatI've known mywhole life." Bailey:"I don't like beingaway from homevery much, but it'skind of like having apiece of home withyou. We've traveledall over the worldtogether and therewould be nothingbetter than to havesuccess andmedals in Sochiand to have thethree of us there toexperience it." ANEXPERIENCEWE'LL BEWATCHING,KNOWING WHEREIT ALL STARTED ...IN LAKE PLACID,STEPHENWATSON, W-P-T-ZNEWSCHANNELFIVE...ANNELIESAHNA- LEEZCOOK HAS THECHANCE TOQUALIFY FOR THEOLYMPIC TEAMWITH A TOP 30FINISH AT THEWORLD CUPLATER THIS YEAR.WE WISH THEMALL THE BEST OFLUCK...